Jennifer Hudson singing "And I'm Telling You" live

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:08pm

http://jenniferhudsonmusic.com/jennifer003.html

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:20pm

Very solid. She needs to get her lyrics down, but she has the vocal chops to sing the song.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:22pm

Updated On: 3/2/05 at 06:22 PM

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:25pm

Yeah, she keeps swapping lyrics all over the place. But, I have a feeling that her steel throat might be one of the firsts to withstand a long run of eight shows a week.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:28pm

I hope she can act because she'd be a very good Effie. Then again, Holliday was no great actress in the beginning, so with a good director, Hudson should be fine.

[Thetruth]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:29pm

I'm mad cuz they kept cutting out the great parts! I liked it, but I wish she woulda stopped trying to work the stage so much cuz I think that took away from what she was trying to do.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:31pm

Yeah, just keep the original brilliant staging on the key moments, and the role is near impossible to mess up. Totally impossible (I think) if you have someone who can sang.

[Mattio98]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:34pm

Very good but I think she's backphrasing a little too much on some parts.

[sweetiedarlinmia]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:55pm

*sits down after doing a little dance around the room*

GO HEAD GIRL! That's it, write the contract so she can sign it. SHE NEEDS TO BE EFFIE!

[Thetruth]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 6:56pm

Effie on stage or Effie in the movie?

[bjivie2]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:04pm

I love how I never see Margo anymore unless it's in a Dreamgirls thread.

[Matt_G]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:04pm

She really is the best choice for the role (acting abilities dependant), in my opinion. She's definately got the voice and we all know she has the attitude.

Another Jennifer in the role. It's fate.

[GhettoBway]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:38pm

are you people serious?
she is obviously imitating Holliday like most black woman.
with "aity" people are going to cheer even if the person sounds horrible.

i dont buy it

[Matt_G]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:39pm

"with "aity" people "

What does this mean?

[GhettoBway]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:42pm

"And im telling you"

[javero]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:43pm

Yes!! I've said all along that she fits the bill for the screen version. It appears that her handlers got wind of the ringing endorsement of several of her fans at another site and launched a little campaign on her behalf. Way to up the ante.! She'll probably need a little hand-holding in the acting department but so did Miss Holliday. Phrasing and other technical glitches notwithstanding, hers is still the best live or recorded rendition of that song after the takes of Miss Holliday and Shirley Murdock IMO. This is good news indeed. Thanks a million for firing up this thread.

PS: Her cover of the Gladys Knight hit "Neither One of" was superb. Her own voice came through on that one versus her imitation of Miss Holliday on AITY. She's young still and will find her own voice soon with proper training and further stage experience.

[bobbystrong]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 7:49pm

I think with the right musical director/vocal coach/director...she could PULL IT OFF. What I like about her is that she wasnt quite imitating Holliday - she seems to be able to know how to add her own runs and style - and hopefully like I said w the right musical director they'll keep pushing her singing of the song away from the same old Holliday notes and riffs. She also is young, and looks young - which is really important for this role. I love Frenchie - but she does not have enough gospel "rawness" in her voice. She sounds too trained - I'm not saying she has a 'deena' voice, because she does has a powerful, very high belt. But Frenchie had a long time to make "and i am" her own, and at the end she was still hitting the Holliday notes that everyone sings.

[Thetruth]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 10:01pm

I don't think Jennifer Hudson was trying to imitate Ms. Holiday but you can't ignore the legacy of the song. People are going to cheer for the song because they love it. Holiday singing it just takes it to another level.

[TonyaFanatic]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 10:23pm

ive said it before, and ill say it again: JENNIFER HUDSON IS EFFIE WHITE. bill condon has got to get in touch with her, this could make her a star.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 10:35pm

She's a pseudo-star who has the vocal chops and could sell tickets
I approve

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 10:39pm

Wow.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 11:30pm

Hmm...the bandwith has been exceeded.

[catstagestud]

Posted: 3/2/05 at 11:52pm

I've said this since the moment I heard about a possible revival or movie; Jennifer Hudson needs to be Effie. I saw her in the American Idol concert last summer and she blew me away and even posed for a picture in the middle of the concert (after I threw her a rose). Work it girl!!

[Caleb]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 1:01am

I don't think she was imitating Jennifer Holliday. If you saw her when she was on American Idol, you'll know that's just the way her voice sounds.

Also, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't kill me for this: am I the only person who doesn't love Jennifer Holliday's rendition of this song? I know it's her signature song, and I definitely admire the passion with which she performs it, but I personally don't much care for her actual voice. I don't like the tone of her upper register, and her she doesn't quite hit the high F on her recording when she slides up to it.

I will never criticize others for liking her, because I do believe she has legitimate talent, I just personally don't prefer her. Does anyone agree?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/3/05 at 2:39am

NO. Not even remotely.

Remember the song was written FOR her voice, for what it sounded like, for its range and power and timbre, for what it can do. It's not as if Krieger and Eyen handed her the finished song and she just sang it. They heard her and were totally blown away by her and set out to construct a song to exploit all of the things that she could do that few other singers have ever been able to. It's not just her signature song -- the song is her and she is the song. Her performance goes beyond definitive -- those slides and growls were written into the score after their first draft of the song once they heard how she interpreted the initial version.

You'd never have made such an utterly uninformed comment had you ever witnessed her perform the song live in the show. I've seen nearly every other Effie and dozens of others over the years do the song and NO ONE is even in the same ballpark. Holliday OWNS the song now and forever and if you don't like "her version" you don't like the song as it is intended to be sung. To suggest otherwise is ludicrous.

Updated On: 3/3/05 at 02:39 AM